Tears of joy after Brazil’s Supreme Court makes milestone ruling on Indigenous lands

By DIANE JEANTET and ELÉONORE HUGHES
Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Indigenous people in Brazil are celebrating after the country’s Supreme Court ruled to enshrine their land rights. The decision Thursday removed the immindent threat those proections could be rolled back. The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by Santa Catarina state, backed by farmers, seeking to block an Indigenous group from expanding the size of its territory. Nine of the high court’s 11 justices supported the Indigenous group, which has far-reaching implications for territories nationwide. Indigenous people in traditional yellow feather headdresses and body paint danced, sang and jumped for joy in the capital of Brasilia. Though the case involved only one Indigenous group, the Supreme Court said it serve as a precedent for all instances of justice involving Indigenous groups.